Waffle House is great for cheap eats in America!

As a traveler on the cheap around the United States, one of the best options for some cooking is none other than Waffle House. I have always had a soft place in my heart for the breakfast they serve. It is comparable to Denny’s but the prices are much better.

There is nothing quite like some good old southern diner every morning when you are just waking up and on the road again. I have been thankful to see them on the side of the highway more than once. The good thing about Waffle House restaurants is they are always open and they are everywhere.

In the south, these all night diners like Krystal’s, Dennys and Whataburger become icons of the culture. People come to form a cult following about late night food that is very cheap. That also means you will meet some very interesting people to say the least. You never know who you will run into at three in the morning at one of these restaurants.

One way they do this is, in the wake of a hurricane, they bring in staff from another part of the South to run the restaurant so the workers can care for their families. What this means for the customers is even after a hurricane, the chances of some good breakfast is quite high.

When traveling to my hometown by air, I normally stop at the Waffle House in Platte City,Missouri on the way. It is great to have a nice juicy Texas Bacon Patty Melt with a huge plate of hash browns after a long flight.

Menu at Waffle House

Sample of the menu at Waffle House

There is many things you can get at their restaurants but I want to tell you about some of my favorites. You might disagree with my taste but I doubt you will. Most people like these to be honest!

I really enjoy having Texas Bacon, Egg, and Cheese melt. It is a solid meal and some with the hash browns that I just love. I know it is not the best for my diet but it taste amazing. Nothing like it at three in the morning.

The Double Cheeseburger that is 100% Angus beef is not that bad, either. It might not be Hard Rock Cafe or TGI Friday’s but it is not $20 for it. I have had many of these in the middle of the night when I was just hungry as hell.

Of course, I love their hash browns to death. I have been to Waffle House many times just to have them. I normally get their “all the way” on triple hash browns. This is with onions, cheese, ham, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, chili and gravy. I do not know if they have this in Heaven but I am sure they do!

An honorable mention would have to go to the Bert’s Chili. Let’s face it, the Midwest can have some bitter cold winters. It is nice to get a big bowl of thick chili when you are traveling and that is exactly what I have come to expect at Waffle House.

Of course, they have free refills on soft drinks which is nice to have as well.

Waffle House food

Not the healthiest food

Now, I will openly admit that if you are on a diet or a health nut; you probably will have to take a pass on Waffle House. It is not the most dietary friendly in the world but most people don’t mind the grease as a trade off for the amazing taste of omelettes and hash browns. I know I sure don’t mind at all!